Issue 2, 2025

A highly lipophilic terpyridine ligand as an efficient fluorescent probe for the selective detection of zinc(ii) ions under biological conditions

Abstract

The present work describes the synthesis of new terpyridine (tpy) molecules possessing functionalized long alkyl chains at the 4′-position associated with a planar structure with considerable delocalization. Out of the three synthesized tpy derivatives (L1, L2, and L3), L2 containing an ester group at the end of the alkyl chain emerged as an excellent probe for the selective detection of Zn2+. The detection of Zn2+ ions under biological conditions was achieved by the introduction of a distinct aliphatic undecanoic ester chain at the 4′-position of the core terpyridine ring, thereby making it more lipophilic. The increased lipophilicity aids in the probe performance by enabling precise Zn2+ detection and bioimaging. The bioimaging capability of the probe L2 for Zn2+ ions was demonstrated in ICG cell lines. The RGB method was integrated into the detection process, making it portable and low-cost. The LODs were determined to be 106 and 115 nM, respectively, for the solution-phase and test paper strips. The probe L2 was successfully utilized to determine Zn2+ levels in pharmaceutical and water samples.

Graphical abstract: A highly lipophilic terpyridine ligand as an efficient fluorescent probe for the selective detection of zinc(ii) ions under biological conditions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Oct 2024
Accepted
12 Nov 2024
First published
13 Nov 2024

Anal. Methods, 2025,17, 232-245

A highly lipophilic terpyridine ligand as an efficient fluorescent probe for the selective detection of zinc(II) ions under biological conditions

R. R. Panicker, S. Joseph, S. Dharani, M. L. John, A. T. Kuriappan, J. T. Abraham, S. Abdul Majeed, B. B. Pavankumar, S. K. Ashok Kumar and A. Sivaramakrishna, Anal. Methods, 2025, 17, 232 DOI: 10.1039/D4AY01818D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements